1. Field of the Invention
Ribavirin (1-.beta.-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide) possesses an antiviral activity and can be utilized as a drug.
The present invention relates to methods for producing ribavirin utilizing microorganisms and a method for producing ribose-1-phosphoric acid which is a precursor of ribavirin.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that ribavirin can be prepared not only by chemical synthesis but also by biochemical reactions (Published Examined Japanese patent application No. 17830/79, Published Unexamined Japanese patent application Nos. 146593/82, 190396/83, 216696/83, 6895/84, 143599/84, 120981/85, 133896/85, etc.). These methods include a fermentation method which comprises culturing a microorganism in a medium containing a triazole derivative to produce ribavirin and an enzymatic method which comprises allowing a microorganism cell to act on a 1,2,4-triazole derivative and a ribose donor to produce ribavirin.
In any of these methods, the yield of ribavirin is unsatisfactory and it has been desired to develop a method for efficiently producing ribavirin in a high yield.